Can I teach communication, even if that’s not my field?

Scholars who study communication will be the first to tell you that communication, in practice, is something that belongs to everyone. All communication shares foundational elements but is influenced by many factors including culture, academic discipline, and situational context.  As a scholar, you have learned the communication skills required by your discipline and are modeling these for your students. What makes you a qualified instructor to teach a communication-intensive course is that you are embedded in your field. You’ve spent the time thinking about the topics, engaged and contributed your knowledge through various platforms, and have a deep understanding of what the audiences of your area expect. You are further down the road on the journey of expertise than your students, and thus you are their guide to learning.

Communication-intensive pedagogy involves the self-aware, transparent, and intentional teaching of these very communication skills. This means pulling back the curtain and sharing with your students the how and why behind your communication choices. What we hear from fellow teachers—and we ourselves experience—is that doing this not only helps the learner, but makes the teaching experience more enjoyable. 

Teaching communication can take multiple forms in the classroom. Ensure your students are set up for success in their learning and communicating by having a plan for what to teach, how to teach, and when to teach it.